These delicious bread recipes are perfect for holiday parties.

Everyone knows the holiday season is a time to enjoy cookies and cocktails, but you can't overlook the bread on the table. Delicious breads are a must-have for Christmas brunch and Christmas dinner. Plus, the tasty loaves are great gifts for friends, family, neighbors, teachers, and others on your gift list. We've got 12 recipes that work for any holiday table plus a twist on challah that's perfect for a Hanukkah celebration. Can't get enough bread? Try these 6 easy no-knead breads and these quick breads and spreads.

More

view gallery

01of13

01Of13

01Of13

Chai-Spiced Tea Loaves

Chai-Spiced Tea Loaves

Chai spice tastes great in your tea mug and even better in these moist and tender loaf cakes. Bake these do-ahead gifts up to three months ahead — just cool them, wrap tightly in foil, and freeze. When ready to share, thaw at room temperature, unwrapped (to prevent condensation from building up inside the foil), and gift wrap as desired. If you don't have mini loaf pans, you can find the disposable aluminum ones in your supermarket.

Chai-Spiced Tea Loaves

Chai spice tastes great in your tea mug and even better in these moist and tender loaf cakes. Bake these do-ahead gifts up to three months ahead — just cool them, wrap tightly in foil, and freeze. When ready to share, thaw at room temperature, unwrapped (to prevent condensation from building up inside the foil), and gift wrap as desired. If you don't have mini loaf pans, you can find the disposable aluminum ones in your supermarket.

Quick Nut Bread

This is called a quick bread because it is made without yeast. You can easily alter this recipe by including a teaspoon of orange or lemon zest or your favorite extract. This bread may be baked in virtually anything that you can put into your oven; just remember to fill the container only three-quarters full. If you don't, the batter will overflow when it expands, and you will have a big mess to clean up.

Apricot, Ginger, and Walnut Tea Bread

This moist tea bread is so deliciously addictive — try it sliced and toasted, with butter! — we suggest giving it as a gift with the recipe on a card. (It can be made up to two days ahead and can be frozen for up to one month.)

Holiday Bread

Christmas mornings are busy. Prepare breakfast the day before by baking this simple stollen, a quick version of the traditional sweet bread. Set it out for everyone to enjoy with their choice of tea or coffee. It also makes a great gift. Prepare some ahead to freeze. Wrap in foil and seal in freezer-weight plastic bags — they'll stay good up to a month.

Orange-Spiced Fruit Bread

Orange zest, aniseed, and allspice, along with honey, lend this full-bodied fruit bread an intriguing flavor. The medley of three dried fruits gives it a chewy texture, eye-catching color, and healthful fiber. For a festive look, the bread is baked in a tube pan: A 10-cup Bundt, Kugelhopf, or other pan with a center tube and decorative shape is ideal.

Healthy Makeover Pumpkin Bread

If you have a few health-conscious guests at your holiday brunch or dinner, treat them to our slimmed-down quick bread. Gone are the traditional version's 3 grams of saturated fat and all the cholesterol (thanks to egg whites and a blend of low-fat yogurt and canola oil). No one will suspect you've tinkered — a slice is that good!

Mini Country Loaves

Peanut Butter and Banana Bread

This is one of those happy-accident recipes. While Beth Lipton was baking at a bed-and-breakfast in Venice Beach, CA, a guest requested banana bread. She didn't have enough butter, so she swapped in peanut butter. She's been making banana bread that way ever since.